Month: November 2006

ARMENIA RUMINATES OVER MEMBERSHIP
By Ara Tadevosian in Yerevan
Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
Nov 23 2006
Yerevan seeks to build better relations with Brussels, while not
offending Moscow.
Political leaders in Abkhazia view the prospect of Georgia entering
NATO with deep anxiety, with government officials saying such a move
would be a grave threat to their own hopes of achieving independence,
and warning that it could spur them to move even closer to Russia.
“Above all, we see ourselves as a country allied with Russia,” said
Sergei Shamba, foreign minister of the unrecognised republic. “It’s
well known that NATO expansion in our region runs counter to Russia’s
interests.
“If Georgia joins the North Atlantic Alliance, recognition of Abkhaz
independence will become more difficult since the kind of support
Georgia will get from NATO members will be of a different order;
it will carry more weight.”
Abkhaz officials say that in such an eventuality they would be
forced to take counter-measures, which many believe would mean closer
integration with the Russia state.
“We need to agree a legal format for the relationship between
Abkhazia and Russia before this decision [Georgian membership of
NATO] is taken,” said Astamur Tania, one of the leaders of the Abkhaz
opposition. “The [Abkhaz] parliament recently passed a resolution
on the matter, describing it as an ‘associate relationship’ between
Abkhazia and Russia.”
Tania was formerly a political advisor to Abkhazia’s first president
Vladislav Ardzinba, under whose leadership the concept of an
“association” with Moscow first took shape.
Tania was critical of Tbilisi’s “intensified dialogue” with NATO,
saying, “This has made Georgia think that its foreign policy enjoys the
full backing of NATO members. There is another factor to be considered:
with NATO support, Georgia will upgrade its armed forces, and there’s
no guarantee that these units won’t be used against Abkhazia or
South Ossetia.”
Citing the case of Kosovo, which many believe will be granted
independence next year without the consent of its former parent state,
Serbia, Tania expressed fears that Georgia would try to preempt that
decision by ensuring that its claims to Abkhazia and South Ossetia
were resolved in its favour beforehand. He warned that in the case
of Abkhazia, “there’s a great danger that the resolution [sought by
Georgia] will be a military one”.
“Georgia is in a hurry to speed up its admission to NATO,” said Natella
Akaba, a former member of Abkhazia’s parliament. “Tbilisi is clearly
worried that the mechanism that will lead to recognition for Kosovo
has been activated. The Georgian authorities are well aware that once
Kosovo is recognised, attitudes towards other unrecognised states
will change drastically, and Abkhazia’s chances [of full independence]
will dramatically increase.”
The authorities in Sukhum maintain that for them, international
recognition is not contingent on the outcome in Kosovo, since they
argue that Abkhazia has a stronger legal and historical claim to
sovereignty. But they are keeping a close eye on developments in the
Balkans, and the possible response from Tbilisi.
Stanislav Lakoba, secretary of Abkhazia’s Security Council, says he
does not expect Georgia to begin the procedure of joining NATO until
2008 at the earliest.
Tamaz Ketsba, director of the non-government group Civil Society-Man of
the Future, argued that Georgia was facing a “problem of time” with the
prospect of recognition for Kosovo set against its own NATO ambitions.
This, he warned, might force the Georgian to seize the initiative
through military action. “Georgia might be given an easy ride and
admitted to the alliance despite its unresolved conflicts, but once
that happens, NATO members… are unlikely to give their assent to a
military operation in Abkhazia or South Ossetia,” said Ketsba. “Given
Russia’s political interests in the region, there will be no green
light for any military operation.”
To ward off a possible Georgian offensive, the Abkhaz army has been
conducting military exercises almost every month, involving both
regular units and reservists, most of them veterans of the 1992-93 war.
“It’s all a matter of motivation,” said Deputy Defence Minister Merab
Kishmaria. “Unlike the Georgians, we have nowhere to retreat to – the
Abkhaz have no other homeland than this. I assure you that despite
our limited resources, we won’t give in to the Georgians. All the
more so since we have experienced a victorious war with Georgia –
that gives us heart, and could demoralise the enemy.”
Akaba was the only Abkhaz commentator interviewed by IWPR who took
the view that Sukhum could live with Georgia’s accession to NATO.
“If NATO takes a decision based on principle to admit Georgia without
Abkhazia and South Ossetia, it could have a stabilising effect in
the region,” she said. “But NATO is unlikely to make such a move.”
Inal Khashig is editor of Chegemskaya Pravda newspaper in Abkhazia
and co-editor of Panorama, IWPR’s Caucasian newspaper.

AZERBAIJAN TIPTOES TOWARDS NATO
By Jasur Mamedov in Baku
Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
Nov 23 2006
Baku’s cautious policy seemingly designed to avoid spoiling relations
with Iran and Russia.
Although Azerbaijan is moving closer towards NATO, it remains shy
of talking about full membership of the alliance, apparently out of
concern about the geopolitical implications of such a commitment.
On November 8, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliev visited NATO
headquarters in Brussels before flying to Moscow for talks with
President Vladimir Putin. The two stops on his trip illustrated the
delicate foreign policy Baku is pursuing with both NATO and Russia.
“Today probably marks the start of a new stage in this relationship,”
said Aliev in Brussels. “We think it’s very important for our country,
which is young but already has growing potential, to be a true and
reliable partner for NATO.”
Azerbaijan’s chief foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Tagizade told
IWPR that his government believed in gradual cooperation, “We don’t
claim that we’ll become a NATO member-state tomorrow, or in a year.
But we believe that the current framework of our partnership gives
enough scope for us to make moves in this direction. Azerbaijan is now
well aware that integration with Europe and Euro-Atlantic structures
will bring stability to the region.”
Some analysts see Azerbaijan’s deliberately cautious policy as designed
to avoid spoiling relations with its big neighbours Iran and Russia.
“Over the last 10 to 15 years, integration with the West has been
a strategic priority for Azerbaijan,” said political analyst Leila
Alieva. “But the authorities are now saying that good relationships
should be built with Russia and Iran in order for the country to have
a normal existence.
“There’s a contradiction here: Azerbaijan can move closer to the West
only through democracy, through political and economic reforms. But
what draws us closer to Russia and Iran is being an authoritarian
regime.”
Another analyst, Elkhan Mehtiev, said Azerbaijan wanted to escape
the kind of Russian hostility Georgia has evinced by making its NATO
ambitions so plain.
“It’s no secret that all Georgia’s troubles started after it announced
its intention to join NATO and took radical steps in that direction,”
said Mehtiev. “No one wants to have a conflict with Russia over
this. Azerbaijan’s leaders understand that if they act like Georgia,
the troubles that await them will be even worse. NATO places a high
value on cooperation with Azerbaijan, but it isn’t going to be a
question of full membership.”
Some opposition figures argue that Azerbaijan is being too cautious
and should instead move full-speed towards NATO membership.
Sulhaddin Akber, president of the Azerbaijani-Atlantic Cooperation
Association and a leading member of the opposition Musavat party,
said, “It’s true that there are some internal and external problems
hampering Azerbaijani integration with NATO. But if Azerbaijan acted
in concert with Georgia, Tbilisi would not be left to cope with the
pressure from Moscow alone.”
Azerbaijan joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme in 1994
and is now implementing an Individual Partnership Action Plan, IPAP,
with the alliance.
Baku has been reforming its armed forces since 1997 to bring them into
line with NATO requirements. The country’s military education system
has undergone the most noticeable changes: with Turkish military
assistance, young officers are now being trained in accordance with
NATO standards.
Under its IPAP, Azerbaijan has been putting up new radar stations
with United States assistance in the southern region of Astara and
the coastal region of Khyzy.
“The primary aim of this is to allow Azerbaijan to control and guard
its borders,” said Jonathan Henick, public affairs officer of the
US embassy in Baku. “We believe that there is a threat from the
trafficking of weapons, drugs and people via the Caspian Sea. We
think that it’s in the interests of both the USA and Azerbaijan to
have these negative phenomena under control.”
Some Azerbaijani experts say the radar stations are primarily
intended to watch out for illegal traffic between Russia and Iran,
but Henick denied this, saying, “It’s not the USA’s aim to keep an
especially close watch on some particular route. Its aim is to develop
Azerbaijan’s controlling capacities.”
Despite the partnership plan, a number of experts say they see little
evidence that the Azerbaijani military is willing to undergo reform.
Alekber Mamedov, director of the Centre for Civil Control over Armed
Forces, said that the only areas where Azerbaijan was able to cooperate
with NATO effectively involved protecting the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline and counter-terrorism activities.
“I would like NATO to put pressure on the Baku authorities to undertake
military reforms in Azerbaijan. If it does not do so, any cooperation
with such corrupt officials will harm the reputation of a world-class
organisation like NATO,” he said.
Yildirim Mamedov, formerly a brigade commander and now a colonel in
the reserve, said that military reform in Azerbaijan was a mirage.
“Currently we can see no changes either in the minds of our military
leaders or in the technical and physical condition of the army,”
he said. “It’s pure pretence.”
Mamedov said there were big obstacles standing in the way of Azerbaijan
meeting NATO standards, but the alliance had at least helped the army
conduct professional exercises.
Uzeir Jafarov, a lieutenant-colonel in the reserve, said, “Over
the next five to 10 years, Azerbaijan won’t be able to fulfill its
commitments to NATO. Personally I don’t believe that under the command
of the corrupt generals in the defence ministry, any effort will be
made to aspire to NATO standards.”
Unlike in Georgia, NATO is not a subject of passionate debate in
Azerbaijan.
Taxi driver Ehtiram Tagiev, 40, only remembers that NATO once
confronted the Soviet Union. “I can’t say whether NATO membership
will be beneficial for Azerbaijan or not, since the organisations
Azerbaijan has joined up till now have done nothing good for our
country and haven’t brought a resolution to the Karabakh conflict
any closer,” he said.
Schoolteacher Azad Orujev, 30, said cooperation with NATO could only
benefit the country. He said soldiers should have higher wages and
their conditions of service should improve.
“But politically, membership in NATO cannot change anything in
Azerbaijan,” he said. “As long as we have oil, democracy will be
something we can only dream about.”
Jasur Mamedov is a journalist with Zerkalo newspaper in Baku.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN AMENABLE TO TALKS WITH ARMENIA REGARDING N.KARABAKH
Kuwait News Agency, Kuwait
Nov 23 2006
MOSCOW, Nov 23 (KUNA) — Azerbaijan on Thursday agreed on holding
talks with Armenia at the presidential level on the disputed Nogorno
Karabakh settlement.
Taha Taqi Zadah, an Azerbaijani spokesman,told the Russian Interfax
News Agency that his country informed the head of Minsk group which
belongs to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(Minsk) that his country would take part in talks on the disputed
Karabakh settlement.
Taqi described his meeting with Minsk’s representatives as positive
and fruitful.
The spokesman added that representatives from the European Union (EU)
showed determination to carry on efforts to bring closer stands and
peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CYPRUS HAS NO PLANS FOR TURKEY VETO, WANTS SANCTIONS
Financial Mirror, Cyprus
Nov 23 2006
The government of Cyprus has no plans to impose a veto on Turkey’s
European Union accession course, but said Thursday that member states
are considering the type of sanctions to be imposed if Ankara continues
to defy all protocols.
Turkey’s refusal to recognize the Republic of Cyprus and its insistence
to prevent access to its ports and airports of Cypriot vessels, in
contravention of the Ankara Protocol, could result in the EU stopping
all accession talks with that country.
The Greek Cypriots also want the deserted town of Varosha to be
returned, initially under a United Nations mandate, in exchange for
allowing the Turkish-occupied port of Famagusta to gain international
recognition.
“The EU expects all applicants to implement the accession protocols,”
said President Tassos Papadopoulos after a meeting with the visiting
president of Armenia, Robert Kocharian.
“Nobody desires the interruption of talks with Turkey, but what is
being discussed (by other EU member states) is the type and height
of sanctions. The veto belongs to those who do not want to impose
sanctions on Turkey,” Papadopoulos said.
“Turkey’s relations with its neighbours also applies to Armenia,”
said Kocharian. He added that “as Turkey has desires to join the EU,
the process of its accession path interests us. This will also affect
relations between Armenia and Turkey.”
Responding to an invitation to visit Armenia, Papadopoulos accepted
but said Kocharian should not expect an answer too soon, as “we have
some very important matters to deal with next month.”
The Cypriot president has already shortened a visit to China so that he
will be back on the island on December 9, a few days after Turkey’s
final deadline to comply with the Ankara protocol and a few days
before the EU leaders’ meeting to continue or stop all accession talks.
“There is no difference in our policies with Armenia,” Papadopoulos
said. “The Cyprus government will continue to support Armenia at
international fora and in bilateral relations.”
The two presidents, accompanied by their foreign ministers and other
cabinet members, discussed ways to improve education, tourism, banking
and cultural cooperation and implement a number of agreements in 2007.
“In Cyprus there is a dynamic and high standard Armenian community,
Papadopoulos said, adding that “we continue will to utilize this
resource to further our cooperation in many fields. For that we have
promised every kind of support.”
“One more protocol remains to be signed on the protection of
investments and this will complete our obligations on the economic
chapter,” Kocharian concluded.

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP ANALYZED SITUATION IN GEORGIA TERRITORIES, DENSELY POPULATED BY AZERBAIJANIS AND ARMENIANS
Author: E.Javadova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 23 2006
In the latest report, the International Crisis Group, examines the
grievances of Georgian Armenians and Azeri Minorities, Trend reports
with reference to the press-release of the International Crisis
Group. Georgia has made little progress towards integrating these
minorities, who constitute over 12% of the population. Armenians and
Azeris are underrepresented in all spheres of public life, especially
government, and lack of dialogue between them and Tbilisi adds to
perceptions of discrimination and alienation. This is aggravated
by economic problems, including high unemployment and decaying
infrastructure. “Tbilisi needs to do much more to build confidence
and to encourage minorities to address their problems through the
state structures rather than on the street”, said Sabine Freizer,
Crisis Group Caucasus Project Director. While the government denies
that there is any inequality, many minorities claim they are treated
as second-class citizens. Although the State took a number of steps to
improve the living standards of the national minorities, none of this
is likely to appease minorities political grievances without policies
that increase inclusion and participation. The government needs to
establish a comprehensive education system to teach Georgian as a
second language to minorities, but while a new generation is educated,
minorities should not be discriminated against, especially in hiring
for state jobs. The state should also implement its international
commitments, particularly allowing use of minority languages for state
affairs in municipalities with large numbers of minority citizens,
as it is in Europe.

IMF: IMF EXECUTIVE BOARD COMPLETES THIRD REVIEW UNDER PRGF ARRANGEMENT FOR ARMENIA AND APPROVES US$4.9 MILLION DISBURSEMENT
International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Nov 23 2006
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has
completed the third review of the Republic of Armenia’s economic
performance under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF)
arrangement.
The completion of the review enables Armenia to draw an amount
equivalent to SDR 3.28 million (about US$4.9 million), which will
bring total disbursements under the arrangement to the equivalent of
SDR 13.12 million (about US$19.5 million).
The Executive Board approved the three-year arrangement on May 25,
2005 (see Press Release No. 05/123) for a total amount equivalent to
SDR 23 million (about US$34.3 million) to support the government’s
economic program through 2008.
Following the Executive Board discussion, Mr. Takatoshi Kato, Deputy
Managing Director and Acting Chair, said:
“Armenia’s economy continues to perform well under its PRGF-supported
program. Prudent fiscal and monetary policies, large external inflows,
and ongoing structural reforms have contributed to double-digit
growth in a low inflation environment and to a sustained reduction
in poverty and unemployment. There has been impressive progress in
the areas of fiscal and financial sector reforms, including through
improved tax administration, strengthened prudential regulations and
oversight of the financial sector, and improved corporate governance
of banks. Looking ahead, the focus of the authorities’ policy will
be to manage the macroeconomic impact of continued large capital
inflows, and to boost tax revenue to finance expenditure increases
in infrastructure and social services.
“The authorities’ economic program for the remainder of 2006 and 2007
focuses on limiting inflationary pressures, maintaining a flexible
exchange rate arrangement, and improving tax revenue performance. The
draft 2007 budget is compatible with macroeconomic stability and
envisages a significant increase in tax revenues, which will be needed
to finance priority expenditures in infrastructure and social services.
“Continued fiscal and financial sector reforms remain key to sustaining
growth and reducing poverty. In the fiscal area, the authorities’
reform efforts will focus on broadening the tax base by reducing
exemptions and loopholes and on improving the predictability and
efficiency of tax administration. In the financial sector, reforms
in the period ahead will focus on improving corporate governance,
strengthening regulation and supervision, and deepening financial
intermediation, including through the development of the nonbank
financial sector,” Mr. Kato said.
Contact: -MF EXTERNAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT Public Affairs Media
Relations Phone: 202-623-7300 Phone: 202-623-7100 Fax: 202-623-6278
Fax: 202-623-6772

ITO REPROACHES FRENCH DEPUTIES OVER ARMENIAN BILL
Turkish Press
Nov 23 2006
Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) Executive Board Chairman Murat
Yalcintas said yesterday that the French Parliament’s recent passage
of a bill criminalizing denial of the so-called Armenian genocide was
regrettable. The ITO organized a meeting bringing together the heads
of French firms in Turkey and members of the chamber with the aim
of developing ties between the two countries. French Ambassador Paul
Poudade also attended the gathering. Stressing that the recent move
had badly affected both political and business relations, Yalcintas
condemned France, saying that the country favored daily concerns over
deeply rooted historical ties. He added that the French Parliament’s
decision had disappointed the Turkish people, and called on French
allies to stop the bill. The French ambassador, for his part, said
that the bill would not go into force.

EXPERT FLIES INTO A ROW OVER DEATHS
Michael Blackley
Scotsman, United Kingdom
Nov 23 2006
A TURKISH professor has made a 3500-mile round-trip to Edinburgh
to criticise the city council for getting involved in a historical
argument concerning his home country.
Last year, the city council passed a motion regarding the deaths
of up to 1.5 million Armenians during the First World War that said
“it was indeed genocide”.
But the topic has been the subject of international debate and the
Turkish prime minister recently called for an impartial inquiry into
the deaths.
Now Turkkaya Ataov, a professor of international relations at the
University of Ankara in Turkey, has travelled to Edinburgh for a
10-minute appearance at the City Chambers to tell councillors they
were wrong to pass the motion.
If you have a view on this or any other subject, let us know. Tel:
0131 620 8747 Email: [email protected] Professor Ataov,
a recipient of the golden honorary medal from Austria-based peace
group the International Progress Organization last year, said:
“If a representative political body passes judgements on the basis
of one-sided and perpetrated Armenian arguments, not only is such a
pursuit beyond its expertise, but also such prejudiced arguments may
well be unsustainable in the light of objective scholarship.
“The only appropriate alternative is to leave the matter to the free
discussion of academics, who possess adequate expertise in related
disciplines.”
Around 25 people connected to the British Citizens Proclamation of
Turkish Rights (CPTR) group were expected to pack the City Chambers
public gallery this morning to hear Prof Ataov’s speech.
Last August, the council passed a motion put forward by then city
leader Donald Anderson recognising that the Turkish campaign against
the Armenians in 1915 “was indeed genocide”.
But the decision resulted in more than 1500 protest e-mails from
Turkish people in Edinburgh and all around the world who were angry
at the decision.
A new motion, presented by the city’s licensing leader Councillor Phil
Attridge, says that the council should instead support the views of
the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who wants an international
commission set up to carry out an independent investigation into the
alleged genocide.
If approved, it would in effect reverse last year’s decision to class
the historical incident as genocide.
Councillor Attridge, a member of the ruling Labour group, said:
“I opposed it at the time because we shouldn’t have anything to do
with something like that. We’re weren’t competent enough on that to
make a decision – we’re only a town council and this was 100 years
ago. It was out of order.”
Cemal Ozturk, a member of the CPTR, said: “This issue has got nothing
to do with a city council. Why are they wasting taxpayers money
debating issues that are none of their business?
“It’s like Ankara’s council talking about the McDonalds and Campbells.”
~U The Armenian Genocide – also known as the Armenian Holocaust or
the Great Calamity – refers to the forced mass evacuation of Armenians
from the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917.
Between 500,000 and 1.5 million people died during the campaign by
the Young Turks government, although Turkey and many countries –
including the UK – today reject the label genocide.
Turkish historians claim the deaths were a result of inter-ethnic
strife, disease and famine, triggered by the First World War.
However, 21 governments recognise the massacres as the first
state-sponsored.

AN UNWANTED VISIT?
By Semih Idiz
Anatolian Times, Turkey
Nov 23 2006
MILLIYET- It seems that Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Turkey will be
troubled, and the government is experiencing uneasy days due to this
visit. Some people say that it comes from the Justice and Development
Party’s (AKP) unhappiness with this visit. According to the latest
news, negative interpretations in the West of this situation caused
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to belatedly schedule a meeting
with him during the visit. But it’s not certain if this will happen
or not. We can see the visit is worrying the government as well. The
main reason for this is the pope’s visit to Patriarch Bartholomeos.
If the state could, it would block the visit. But it can’t. The reason
is very clear: The whole world will pay attention to this visit. Ankara
knows that such an action would damage Turkey’s international image and
so would be more serious than the drawbacks of the pope-Bartholomeos
meeting. So why is the visit being paid?
Firstly, let me remind you of something. The pope was supposed to come
to Turkey last year at Bartholomeos’ invitation for St. Andreas day,
the holiest day of the Orthodox church. As the head of the Catholic
world, his aim was to meet with ‘ecumenical’ leaders of the Greek
Orthodox world and continue the process of rapprochement between the
Eastern and Western churches.
Meanwhile, although we say the opposite, the world considers Patriarch
Bartholomeos to be the ecumenical leader of the Greek Orthodox
Church. Ankara, which was disturbed that Bartholomeos invited the
pope, sent a state invitation on behalf of Turkey to the pope. As he
wouldn’t be able to reject the state’s invitation, the pope accepted
it but postponed his meeting with Bartholomeos. In other words,
Ankara faced a visit that it never wanted. Meanwhile, new dynamics
emerged and this visit started to gain new meanings. The pope opened
his mouth and enraged the Muslim world. Erdogan himself made some
of the harshest criticisms. So the pope’s visit to Turkey took on
a meaning of ‘creating consensus between civilizations.’ However,
for that the pope shouldn’t be meeting with President Ahmet Necdet
Sezer, but Erdogan, who is considered the ‘leading Muslim politician
in Europe,’ so that it would be meaningful. If Turkey had been a
normal country, the pope would have been received at the Presidential
Palace in Cankaya, and Erdogan, the Religious Affairs Directorate
head, the Greek and Armenian patriarchs and the Jewish chief rabbi
would have been invited to the banquet given in his honor. This way
Turkey’s secular character would have been emphasized and it would
have promoted interfaith tolerance. But since this didn’t happen, now I
can only hope Ankara will come through this visit without any problems.

GIVING INDEPENDENCE STATUS TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH IS IMPOSSIBLE – AZERI PRESIDENT
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 23 2006
Giving independence status to Nagorno-Karabakh is impossible, the
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated in an interview with the
Abu Dhabi television,Trend reports.
“Armenia wants independence for Nagorno-Karabakh. It is impossible.
Azerbaijan will never accept it. We may present autonomy status to
them,” the President said.
Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan tries to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict peacefully. “If the Armenians want to achieve the solution
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and live in safe environment, then
they should fulfill 4 Resolutions of the U.N. Security Council,”
Aliyev said.
We support the peaceful solution of the conflict, Aliyev said, adding
that at the same time, “Azerbaijan established strong economy, army
and should be ready to release the occupied lands. It is our legal
right”, Mr. President Said.